How laughter helps you cope with stress, grief, and hard days

Is it okay to laugh when things feel hard? In this episode of Living Fully, we talk to psychologist Joel Zimmerman about humour and laughter as a coping strategy. He explains how laughter affects stress hormones, why it can calm your nervous system, and how it helps break up all-or-nothing thinking. You’ll also hear about the balance between levity and sensitivity, how family and culture shape our comfort with humor, and how laughter can help us shift perspective. "Living Fully" is not a substitute or alternative for professional care or treatment. Calgary Counselling Centre and Counselling Alberta provide effective counselling for anyone in Alberta with no wait list and no financial barriers.For help across Canada and the United States, call 211. If you are outside Canada and the U.S., seek help from your general medical practitioner.